


Kid, you'll move mountains

by UniverseInk



Series: FSG One Word Week 2020 [3]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Batfamily (DCU), Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Don't copy to another site, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:34:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26275729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UniverseInk/pseuds/UniverseInk
Summary: Bruce wants to spend more time with his youngest son, and Damian loves stories. What better way to bond than reading together?Written for One Word Week Day Four: Books
Relationships: Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne
Series: FSG One Word Week 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1906987
Comments: 10
Kudos: 115
Collections: One Word Week (FSG Theme Week)





	Kid, you'll move mountains

**Author's Note:**

> Title and book excerpts are from _Oh, The Places You'll Go_ by Dr. Seuss

Bruce will be the first to admit that he didn’t handle things well when he first found out about Damian. Hell, he’s still not sure he’s doing anything right. Damian has been warming up to him, so he must be doing _something_ right, at least, but it still feels like he’s missing something. 

Then Dick corners him in the cave with some advice. “Damian needs you to be his dad more than he needs you to be Batman.”

It’s one of those things that seems so obvious once it’s been pointed out, but Bruce hadn’t really thought about it. Maybe it’s that Damian’s upbringing, his trauma, makes him seem so much more adult than he really is. Sometimes Bruce forgets his youngest is only twelve.

He thinks about what Damian has told him about his early childhood. Most of it is horrific, and even just imagining his son going through that makes Bruce’s chest feel like it’s going to break open. But there were some bright moments, too. The first time he’d gotten to pet a dog, discovering his talent for art, Talia telling him stories.

Well, that’s an idea. 

When Jason had been young, Bruce would read out loud to him some evenings. Those were some of Bruce’s fondest memories, curled up on the couch with his second son and a book. 

And he already knows Damian likes stories.

Bruce spends an afternoon searching through boxes of things from his childhood up in the attic. Alfred had packed them up a long time ago, at Bruce’s request. When he finds the one he’d been looking for, he sits on the dusty floor and sorts through stacks of books. 

Most of them are too young for Damian, who’s already more well-read than the average college graduate. He sets aside a few that he remembers loving, the covers worn from use. When he shifts aside a collection of child versions of Greek myths to show the book underneath, he knows he’s found the right one.

He brushes dust off the brightly-colored cover, smiling fondly. He remembers his dad reading _Oh, the Places You’ll Go_ to him at bedtime. He’d probably read it a hundred times, Bruce curled into his side on the bed.

This, he decides, is a family tradition worth passing on.

Bruce gathers up the other books he’d set aside and brings them down. He stashes most of them in his study before heading to Damian’s room. At Alfred’s suggestion, Bruce had put his foot down on Damian patrolling with him every night. Usually Damian would sulk in his room on his nights off, so Bruce is sure that’s where he’ll be tonight.

He knocks on the door, only entering when Damian tells him to. He’s sitting at his desk, twisted around in his chair to face the door. 

“Hey, I know you don’t like staying home, so I thought I’d read to you before I go out.” Bruce gestures with the book, showing the cover.

“That is a children’s book,” Damian says, wrinkling his nose. 

“It’s a bit young for you, but my dad used to read it to me.” Bruce shrugs. “I know I missed out on a lot of things when you were growing up. This is the sort of thing I wish we could have done when you were younger.”

Damian hums, narrowing his eyes at the book in Bruce’s hand. “I suppose that is acceptable.” He nods, closing his sketchbook and slipping out of his chair. 

Bruce hides a smile, moving over to the bed. He sits on the edge and pulls back the blankets for Damian, who crawls up next to him and settles against the headboard. 

“This book is called _Oh, the Places You’ll Go_ by Dr. Seuss.” Bruce holds the book in front of them, slightly to his left so Damian will be able to see the pictures clearly. “Congratulations!” he reads. “Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away!”

Bruce reads on. Damian leans closer to examine the illustrations, head tilted to the side. 

“Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.” Bruce flips the page. “Except when you _don’t_. Because, sometimes, you _won’t_. I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups _can_ happen to you.”

As Bruce reads, Damian shifts closer, leaning his head on his arm. He keeps reading, his voice low and soft.

“ _All Alone!_ Whether you like it or not, alone is something you’ll be quite a lot.” The pressure against Bruce’s arm increases, and he glances down to see Damian pressing the side of his face into his bicep. With a small smile, he reads on.

“And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that will scare you so much you won’t want to go on.”

As he reads, Bruce feels Damian slowly relax against him, until he’s leaning more and Bruce than the headboard. He moves slowly, lifting his arm and then wrapping it around Damian, so he’s tucked into his side.

“And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.) _Kid, you’ll move mountains!_ ” Bruce leans his head down so his cheek rests on Damian’s head. “So… be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places! Today is your day!

“Your mountain is waiting. So… _get on your way_!”

Bruce closes the book, resting it on his lap. Damian doesn’t move to pull away, so Bruce keeps his arm around him. 

“What did you think?” he asks.

“It was enjoyable.” Damian’s tone is serious, but not as clipped or brusque as usual, so Bruce counts it as a win. “I would not be opposed to doing this again.”

“I’m glad.” Bruce drops a kiss on Damian’s head. “I have to get ready for patrol, but you have a good night, okay?”

Damian nods. Bruce gives him one last squeeze before getting out of bed and moving to the door.

“Goodnight, father.”

Bruce stops in the doorway and looks back, a fond smile on his face. “Goodnight, son.”

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on tumblr @merc--ury (main) or @transrobins (batfam/dc)
> 
> Please comment or leave a kudos if you liked this


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